1. Field of the Invention
The illustrative embodiments relate to an image processing apparatus and a storage medium storing an image processing program. More specifically, the illustrative embodiments relate to an image processing apparatus and a storage medium storing an image processing program in an apparatus including a photographing and displaying function such as an electronic camera that photographs a face of a certain object, further photographs a face of another object and then displays one image and another image in a composited manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Digital cameras generally utilized at present are provided with a photographing portion for photographing an object, an operating portion including a shutter button, and a display portion for displaying a resultant image obtained by photographing the object. An operator aims the photographing portion toward the object, and takes a picture by operating the operating portion while viewing an image displayed in real time on the display portion or a finder, then the operator confirms the result of the photographing. For example, in an electronic camera disclosed in a Japanese Patent No. 2555848, the above-described construction is disclosed, and a technique for electronically realizing an effect similar to multiple exposure photographing with a camera utilizing a film is further disclosed.
The photograph image data can be captured by a personal computer, and then processed by photo-retouching software, for example. Software that allows such processing, such as “Adobe® Photoshop®” manufactured by Adobe Systems, Inc., and the like, is well known.
In conventional and general electronic cameras, including the electronic camera of the prior art, a photographed image is displayed on the display portion of the camera, in the state that it was photographed in, and therefore the operator simply views the individual electronic photos as photographed.
In order to process the photograph, after photographing the objects, the image data has to be captured by a PC or the like, and processed through the use of the photo-retouching software. For example, in a composing process, the position and the size of areas to be used for the composition have to be designated one-by-one to cut them out, and so forth, by operating an input device such as a mouse, such process being a tedious and unenjoyable one. Furthermore, in the prior art, the processing is performed after the PC captures the image data, and therefore the photographing and the process are separated in terms of time and space. Thus, the interest in the photograph and the appreciation thereof could wane due to the time separation.
Therefore, it is a feature of an illustrative embodiment to provide a novel image processing apparatus and a storage medium storing an image processing program.
Another feature of an illustrative embodiment is to provide an image processing apparatus and a storage medium storing an image processing program capable of adding increased amusement at the time of taking the picture and allowing the user to enjoy forming a composite image readily and easily without engaging in a difficult process.
An image processing apparatus according to an illustrative embodiment is an image processing apparatus comprising an imager, an image display, an imaging guide displaying mechanism, an operating mechanism, an extracting mechanism, a still image storing locations, a composing mechanism, and a composite image display. An imager electronically photographs an object. An image display displays the object photographed by an imager. The imaging guide displaying mechanism displays an imaging guide, on an image display, indicative of a position of a predetermined region of a face. The operating mechanism inputs data in response to an operation by an operator, or obtains an operation input. The extracting mechanism extracts a portion, matching with a display position of the imaging guide, from one image obtained by an imager, in response to the operation input from the operating mechanism, and stores it as a region image. The still image storing locations stores another image obtained by an imager as a still image in response to the operation input from the operating mechanism. The composing mechanism composes the region image stored by the extracting mechanism and the still image stored by the still image storing locations. The composite image display displays a composite image on an image display, composed by the composing mechanism.
More specifically, the image processing apparatus (10: a reference numeral corresponding in the preferred embodiment described later. The same is applied to the following.) includes an imager (30) for electronically photographing the object, and the object (104, 112) photographed by an imager is displayed on an image display (18). Furthermore, on an image display, the imaging guides (102a, 102b, 102c) indicative of the positions of the predetermined regions of the face are displayed by the imaging guide displaying mechanism (32, 68). Upon photographing, the position of the guides is adjusted such that the predetermined region of the face displayed by an image display and the imaging guide match with each other, whereby it is possible to easily obtain the region image indicative of the predetermined region of the face to form a desired composite image. The operating mechanism (20) inputs the data (operation input) in response to the operation by the operator (100), or obtains the operation input, and the operator operates the operating mechanism, for example, performs a shutter operation to take a picture. The extracting mechanism (32, 74, 94, S5, S7) extracts the portion of the image matching with the display position of the imaging guide from one image obtained by an imaging imager in response to the operation input from the operating mechanism, and stores it as a region image (106, 108, 110). The still image storing locations (32, 72, 90, S15, S17) stores another image obtained by an imager as a still image (114) in response to the operation input from the operating mechanism. The composing mechanism (32, 76, S21) composes the region image stored by the extracting mechanism and the still image stored by the still image storing locations. Then, the composite image displaying means (32, 76, S23) displays the composite image composed by the composing mechanism on an image display. Thus, according to the image processing apparatus, merely photographing one image after another makes it possible to easily create and display an interesting composite image obtained by composing the region image extracted from one image and another image.
In one aspect, the image processing apparatus further comprises a first evaluating mechanism and a first deforming mechanism. The first evaluating mechanism extracts feature data indicative of a feature of the relevant image, from the image data obtained by an imager, and evaluates the feature data. The first deforming mechanism deforms the region image according to a result of the evaluation by the first evaluating mechanism. Then the composing mechanism, after the region image has been deformed by the first deforming mechanism, composes the deformed region image and the still image.
More specifically, the first evaluating mechanism (32, 78, 80, S53, S55, S57) extracts the feature data, indicative of the feature of the relevant image, from the image data obtained by an imager, and evaluates the feature data. In one embodiment, as the feature data, luminance data, or RGB data, or the like is extracted from the optical information of the image data, for example, and the luminance data, or the like, is compared with a predetermined standard value so as to be evaluated. The first deforming mechanism (32, 84a, 84b, S59-S63, S65-S69) deforms the region image according to a result of the evaluation by the first evaluating mechanism. In one embodiment, at least one region image is deformed by a rotation, an enlargement/reduction, or the like. Then, the composing mechanism (S59-S63, S65-S69), after the region image has been deformed by the first deforming mechanism, composes the deformed region image (122-126, 128-132) and the still image. Accordingly, by use of the image data obtained by an imager, the composite image with the region image deformed according to the feature can be formed and displayed.
In another aspect, the image processing apparatus further comprises an elapsed time counter, a second evaluating mechanism, and a second deforming mechanism. The elapsed time counter counts an elapsed time after an operation input from the operating mechanism is present. The second evaluating mechanism evaluates the elapsed time counted by the elapsed time counter. The second deforming mechanism deforms the region image according to a result of the evaluation by the second evaluating mechanism. Then, the composing mechanism composes, after the region image has been deformed by the second deforming mechanism, the deformed region image and the still image.
More specifically, the elapsed time counter (32, 82, S25, S51, S75) counts the elapsed time after the operation input from the operating mechanism is present. The second evaluating mechanism (32, 82, S77) evaluates the elapsed time counted by the elapsed time counter. In one embodiment, it is determined whether or not the counted time exceeds a predetermined threshold value. The second deforming mechanism (32, 84c, S79) deforms the region image according to the result of the evaluation by the second evaluating mechanism. Here, as described above, at least one region image is subjected to a deformation such as rotation, enlargement/reduction, or the like, for example. Then, the composing mechanism (S79) composes, after the region image has been deformed by the second deforming mechanism, the deformed region image (134-138) and the still image. Thus, the composite image, with the region image deformed according to an elapsed time, can be formed and displayed without obtaining operation input from the operating mechanism.
A storage medium storing an image processing program according to the illustrative embodiments is a storage medium for storing an image processing program, for composing and displaying the photographed image in an image processing apparatus, provided with an imager for electronically photographing an object, an image display for displaying the object photographed by an imager, and an operating mechanism for inputting data in response to an operation by an operator or obtaining an operation input. The image processing program stored in the storage medium causes a processor of the image processing apparatus to execute an imaging guide displaying step, an extracting step, a still image storing step, a composing step, and a composite image displaying step. The imaging guide displaying step displays an imaging guide indicative of a position of a predetermined region of a face on an image display. The extracting step extracts a portion matching with a display position of the imaging guide from one image obtained by an imager, in response to the operation input from the operating mechanism, and stores it as a region image. The still image storing step stores as a still image another image obtained by an imager, in response to the operation input from the operating mechanism. The composing step composes the region image stored by the extracting step and the still image stored by the still image storing step. The composite image displaying step displays a composite image on an image display, composed by the composing mechanism. Also in the storage medium storing the image processing program, an interesting composite image can be easily formed and displayed, similar to in the above-described image processing apparatus.
In one aspect, the image processing program stored in the storage medium further includes a first evaluating step and a first deforming step. The first evaluating step extracts feature data indicative of a feature of relevant image from the image data obtained by an imager, and evaluates the feature data. The first deforming step deforms the region image according to a result of the evaluation by the first evaluating mechanism. Then, the composing step, after the region image has been deformed by the first deforming mechanism, composes the deformed region image and the still image. Also, in the storage medium storing the image processing program, a composite image, with the region image deformed according to the feature of the imaging data, from an imager, can be formed and displayed, similar to in the above-described image processing apparatus.
In another aspect, the image processing program stored in the storage medium further includes an elapsed time counting step, a second evaluating step, and a second deforming step. The elapsed time counting step counts an time elapsed after the operation input from the operating mechanism is present. The second evaluating step evaluates the elapsed time counted by the elapsed time counting step. The second deforming step deforms the region image according to a result of the evaluation by the second evaluating step. Then the composing step, after the region image has been deformed by the second deforming step, composes the deformed region image and the still image. Also, in the storage medium storing the image processing program, a composite image, with the region image deformed according to the elapsed time after the operation input, can be formed and displayed similar to in the above-described image processing apparatus.
An image processing apparatus according to the illustrative embodiments is an image processing apparatus comprising an imager, an image display, an imaging guide displaying mechanism, an operating mechanism, an extracting mechanism, a still image storing locations, a composing mechanism, a composite image displaying mechanism, an evaluating mechanism, and a deforming mechanism. An imager electronically photographs an object. An image display displays the object photographed by an imager. The imaging guide displaying mechanism displays, on an image display, imaging guides representative of positions of regions of a face, such that they surround at least both of the eyes and the mouth of the face. The operating mechanism is for performing an input operation by an operator. The extracting mechanism extracts the images from the regions of at least both of the eyes and the mouth, surrounded by the imaging guides from a first image, first obtained in response to the operating mechanism, and stores them as region images. The still image storing locations stores, as a still image, a second image obtained successive to the first image, in response to the operating mechanism. The composing mechanism composes the region image stored by the extracting mechanism and the still image stored by the still image storing locations. The composite image displaying mechanism displays, on the display, a composite image composed by the composing mechanism. The evaluating mechanism extracts feature data of the photographed image, from optical information of the photographed image obtained by an imager, and evaluates the feature data. The deforming mechanism deforms the region image according to the evaluating mechanism. Then the composing mechanism, after the region image has been deformed according to the deforming mechanism, composes the deformed region image and the still image, and displays it on image display.
More specifically, although the image processing apparatus is approximately the same as the above-described one aspect of the image processing apparatus, the imaging guides indicate positions of the regions of the face such that they surround at least the both eyes and the mouth of the face. When the operator adjusts, such that the imaging guides match with the both eyes and the mouth of the object, and takes a picture, the extracting mechanism extracts the region images of at least both eyes and the mouth, surrounded by the imaging guides first obtained from the first image. Then the region image and the second image obtained successive to the first image are composed with each other by the composing mechanism so as to be displayed on an image display. With respect to the composite image, according to the evaluation of the feature data, extracted from the optical information (color information, luminance information, or the like) of the photographed image obtained by an imager, the regions images of at least both of the eyes and the mouth are deformed, and the composite image, with the region images deformed, is displayed on an image display. Accordingly, in the image processing apparatus, similar to in the above described image processing apparatus, when the operator takes pictures one after another, the composite image obtained by composing the region images extracted from the first image and the second image can be easily formed, providing the user with a highly interesting composite image whose region images are deformed according to the feature data.
According to the illustrative embodiments, when the operator takes pictures one after another, the composite image can be easily formed and displayed immediately from the photographed image. Accordingly, it is possible to add increased interest at the time of taking a picture and create a more enjoyable photography experience than it is in conventionally merely photographing an object and displaying an individual still image. In addition, there is no need to capture the images in the PC and perform a troublesome composing process, the illustrative embodiments allow a user to enjoy forming an interesting composite image readily and easily.
Displaying the composite image with the region image deformed, according to the feature data extracted form the optical information (color information or luminance information, or the like) of the photographed image data, makes it possible to enjoy forming the composite image.
In addition, displaying the composite image, with the region image deformed according to the time elapsed since the last operation input, makes it possible to enjoy forming a more interesting composite image.
The above described objects and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.